The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-25
RATTLESNAKE FORTY.
A Visit to an Illinois Snake Farm-Cul
tivation of Reptiles for the Market.

! Joys Jne unlQ ue ulSJlnCtlOn OF DelllB JilS Only
! hot bed for the cultivation of this charming
reptile in the United States, if not in the
world, and there are doubtless many who
are glad that this is true, so strong Is still
that prejudice against the serpent, which
| has been one of the strongest characteristics
| of mankind since the days of Adam. But
use has been found for the deadly
| rattlesnake, and consequently a demand
has sprung up for his ugly carcass, and
/ Col. Dan Slower. the proprietor of Rattle
| snake Forty has for the past two years re-
| ceved handsome income from the queer
| products of his farm. That rattlesnake oil
| is remarkably efficacious as a cure for rheu
matism and kindred diseases has long been
believed by the negroes of the South, and
| many of them can tell wonderful stories of
! its powers as a remedial agent But this
has always been considered a superstition
| growing out of the negro'S well-knOwn
reverence for reptiles of any kind. But
whether there be any ground for this belief
in the curative properties ofsnake oil or not,
it is nevertheless a fact that a Philadelphia
firm is using large quantities of the article
in the preparation of a patent medicine,
and to this firm Col Slower disposes of most
of his snakes.
The farm is tract of forty acres of viz
gin prairie, on which the grass grows in
luxuriant profusion. 1t is surrounded by
rail fence-not to keep the snakes from go
ing out, for they are too well cared for to
have any desire to leave their comfortable
quarters-but to keep any one from unwit-
tingly treSpassng on such dangerous
ground. In one corner of the farm is Col.
Stover's residence, where found this en-
terpi'ising snake cultivator one day a few
weeks ago, surrounded by his wife and
children, who fearlessly assist him in his
work Mrs. Slower was preparing dinner
Nshn | otN4e (fniOpnt E1nnIU
asked me to take walk over the
"forty" while we were waiting for the
grub to get ready. | somewhat reluct-
antly accepted the invitation, and calling in
his junior partner, Col. Bill Dunn, and pro
viding me with pair of heavy, high topped
boots and stout stick we started. The sun
was bright and warm and we found the
snakes enjoying it, They We're clustered
around the mounds which dot the entire
tract and which form their homes. The
rattlo-snakeS were not alone, for blue racers
and bull snakes kept them company, but the
rattlers were in the majority, and | confess
that | trembled with fear as we rambed
around among these reptiles whose bite
meant death But they paid no attention
to us except to follow our move
ments with their ready eyes. There
must have been several thousand rat
tlesnakes summing on the various mounds,
some of them at least five feet in length. To
show how easy it was to kill a snake, Col.
Dunn who is a big strapping young fellow,
picked up a large blue racer by the tail and,
twirllng it around his head few times,
popped it like whip, severing the head from
the body and sending it spinning through the
air Col, Dunn is an apprentice in the bust
ness of snake culture, although he is now
almost as learned in the business as his SCH
or But he has had several narrow escapes
from the rattlesnake's deadly fangs.
Returning TO the house we sat down to an
excellent meal, at the conclusion of which
my host showed me his collection of rattles.
On one string, representing his last years
crop, he had 76S sets of rattles, two or three
of the sets having as many as twenty-five
rattles and button each. Col. Slower in
formed me that it was not true that the
number of rattles was an indication of the
rattlesnalxe's age, for he has known them to
grow two rattleS in one year and often
| they were knocked off. Having dis
| played all his curiositieS my host gave
me a chair on the back porch and find
ing another for himself, lit his pipe
| and proceeded to give me some points
| on SNAKE rasin'n | was an interested
but trembling listener, for while he talked
a half dozen big rattlesnakes moved lazily
around on the floor, occasionally coming
uncomfortable close to my chair and
| they looked ten times as dangerous when
in motion as when coiled stupidity on the
| top of a mound But | was treasured
when | saw the children playing with
| these terrible pets, and was informed that
their fangs had all been drawn, although
even then | could not repress a shud-
| der every time one of the Shiny reptiles ap-
preached me- Col. Slower, however, paid
| no attention to their movements, but talked
/ and pulled away with perfect unconcern.
| This singular genius, who is as remarkable
as the queer industry which he fathers, has
a rather scholarly appearance although his
| conversation gives no evidence of collegiate
training. He wears long beard and specta-
cles and carries a heavy stick, which he
uses both as a cane and as a means of pro
lection when his products become too saw
age, but he rarely uses it in the latter ca
| pacity.
''Snake raisin'," he said, in answer to my
| questions, lis not as risky business as some
| folks might think for. They're not unpleas-
ant creatures when you once get acquainted
with 'em, an I've found that they've good
deal more sense than is commonly believed.
They pear to be grateful when you treat
'em good, an mine know me just as well as
my own children do, an they hardly ever
try to bite me. Somehow or anuther l allus
liked to fool with snakes When | was
| nuthin but slip of boy used to catch these
little red an black grown snakes an take
'em home. an mother 'ud kill 'em an give me-
| lickin'. But Ia Keep on huntln EN- Just
the same an many's the time I've got bit
but it never 'peared to hurt me. | alluS
steered clear of the bitin' end of the rattlers
howsumevor. But although I've handled
snakes nearly all my life an have allus had
| a sort o. hankerin' arter EN-, didn't com
mence to make a business o raising 'em I'M
til few years ago, when | found that
could make pretty fair livin' out o it-beat
regular farmin', anyhow. I've got con.
tract now to furnish Philadelphy consarr
with $50 rattlesnakes every season, they
givin' me 81 % apiece for EN-. Itdon't cost
nothin' TO raise 'em, SO you see l clears over
$500 a year out o that contract, besides or
ders fills for other parties This Philadel
ply firm wants 'em for their lie, which il
The best cure for rheumatism in the world
knows, cause I've tried it. The older the
snakes get the better and stronger the lie is,
so them what ship have to be at least six
years old an four feet long. How do raise
'em3 Wall, they mostly raise themselves.
You saw all those little mounds! That's
where they live in winter an breed in sum.
mer. There's thirty-seven of these mounds
on the forty and III each one they'll have
about dozen nests, and mt least ten eggs in
each nest. You see my crop multplies pun.
ty fast. The eggs are about the size OF
cartridges but they're white and soft.
The old uns don't pay much at
tention to EN- until they matches an then
they hustles around an catches flies an
bugs for em. Sometimes we haveto bring